Additional Service Opportunities at Barton

Barton Sets the Bar for "Campus Compassion"

Living in a world of 24-hour news, we are notified within moments of disasters occurring across the globe. But with the technology of instant news, is there also a greater responsibility? Is it possible that today's world requires us to be a people of response: coming together through a worldwide partnership to offer assistance in a multitude of forms to those affected by tragedies of natural and human catastrophes?

This past October, Barton College welcomed the Reverend Amy Gopp, director of Week of Compassion, to share an update about recent worldwide relief efforts coordinated through the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). During her visit to Barton's campus, the Reverend Gopp also spoke to students about a new partnership between Barton College and Week of Compassion, the relief, refugee and development ministry fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). "It brings me great joy to share the work of Week of Compassion with the Barton community," shared Gopp. "Inspiring young adults to be more aware and active in the world is a critical piece to our work."

The two Disciples-related institutions partnered to develop and initiate a pilot program called Campus Compassion. This new initiative was designed to educate and motivate young adults to respond to the global needs of the world. To fund the program, Barton and "Week of Compassion" were awarded two grants from the College/University Grant Fund of Higher Education and Leadership Ministry (HELM) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the Oreon Scott Foundation.

"As Disciples' ministries operating in different manifestations of the Church, Barton College and Week of Compassion have a responsibility to find new ways to engage young adults on the journey of spiritual maturity, social consciousness, and faithful stewardship," shared the Reverend Hollie Woodruff, chaplain of Barton College. "Exposure to the needs of the world is a significant part of that journey. We want to create an innovative strategy to explore what working relationships can emerge between Week of Compassion and Disciples-related colleges and universities.

"The grant funding for this exciting project has done more than just allow Barton College and Week of Compassion to work in partnership; it has provided an environment where our students are truly engaged in their education through study groups, volunteer opportunities, and an Alternative Spring Break work trip," Woodruff added. "Objectives for the program have included educating students about the causes of poverty, researching opportunities for relief work, and creating a stronger global awareness."

The program is specifically designed to inspire students and impart tools to help them make a positive difference in their communities and across the world. "Too often we hear and see the atrocities done throughout the world: lack of food resources in Somalia, women raped and beaten in DRC, severe poverty in Haiti, but we don't know what we can do or how such atrocities are systemic," added Gopp. "Campus Compassion is one way we are fostering the educational process of paying attention to those whose voices have previously been silenced or through neglect, have just not been heard."

In addition to participating in study and discussion programming, Barton students volunteered to collect items for hygiene and baby kits that were assembled and shipped through Week of Compassion to help Haitians following the devastating earthquakes in January and, in March, students participated in an Alternative Spring Break work trip to Lake Charles, La., to assist families still recovering from the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. "This is the intention of the Campus Compassion program: to create awareness, education, and outreach opportunities where poverty, hunger, and destruction exists," continued Woodruff. "It is rewarding to realize that our program was in place this year when people needed it most. We were organized and ready to receive a task and to respond. Our work of relief, rebuilding, and responding is not complete, not in Haiti, not anywhere in the world. Yet, our work at Barton College sends the message that we are a 'Campus of Compassion.'"

This year-long pilot program concluded with a retreat hosted by Barton College that involved chaplains from Disciples-related colleges and universities. "The retreat provided an opportunity to process, share, and promote continued collaboration with Week of Compassion," said Woodruff. "Barton hopes the June retreat initiative was a springboard for other Disciples-related schools to become more involved in offering support to Week of Compassion efforts across the globe. Our hope is that Barton's Campus Compassion program will serve as a model, catalyst, and challenge for other Disciples-related colleges. By bringing Disciples-related college chaplains together, we were able to share our experience of working together while generating partnerships and ideas for future efforts."

Week of Compassion is recognized across the world for providing emergency and long-term assistance to people in the aftermath of natural and human catastrophes. Partnering with other Christian Ministries and national government organizations, Week of Compassion responds with help, hope, and hospitality. "Week of Compassion is an extraordinary program that creates boundless opportunities for students across the nation to participate in assisting with worldwide issues that are often minimized," shared Barton freshman Rachel Warren, president of Campus Compassion.

"During our spring break trip, we witnessed extensive damage still present from the hurricanes over the last decade," continued Warren. "As a team, we worked on three diverse situations; however, each situation shared a similar story of perseverance through times of extreme need. Our group volunteered our time and energy to improve the homes of those still suffering and, through this experience, we were able to learn more about courageous compassion."

"The Campus Compassion program personifies the partnership of a living covenant between Barton College and the Christian Church (DOC) to respond to this calling to faith," concluded Woodruff. "We are living out the mission, not only of Barton College but also of Week of Compassion and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)."

For additional information about Campus Compassion, please contact the Reverend Hollie Woodruff, chaplain of Barton College, at 252-399-6368 or email: hewoodruff@barton.edu.